The first five flowers, plus four buds, of the extremely rare Sharp Midge Orchid, Corunastylis despectans, have been observed in the heathy woodland. It’s so lovely to see them in these dry times. They are usually the first to flower out of our three Midge Orchids.
Sharp Midge Orchid
Look for Fringed Midge, C. ciliata, and Bearded Midge, C. morrisii, which may appear soon especially if we have some rain. Midge Orchids have a single cylindrical leaf from which the flower stalk emerges. Look closely and you’ll see the flowers are upside down with the dorsal sepal at the base. For other possible sightings, see the autumn orchids article in the Angair Quarterly .
Margaret MacDonald and Alison Watson